


Tied in a Bow

by RookieGater



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 12:22:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17121293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RookieGater/pseuds/RookieGater
Summary: Sam needs help with something and Jack is there to save the day.





	Tied in a Bow

She needed him. She didn’t want to need him - or anyone for that matter - but she did. Her hand shook when she picked up the phone, hitting wrong buttons until she came across his name: ‘Jack’. They had laughed it off the time he had spied his number listed under ‘Colonel O’Neill’.

 

_“Really, Carter?” His eyebrow arched high, enough to rival any of Teal’c’s._

_“Sir?”_

_“You have me under ‘Colonel O’Neill’?” She had gone to the bathroom and left her phone unattended and unlocked. It couldn’t possibly be his fault that he picked it up and went in search of games._

_“And what would you like to be under?” It sounded wrong from the second it left her mouth. She dropped her eyes down and tried to will away a blush._

_“Funny.” His voice was even but he couldn’t help a smirk at that beautiful pink._

_Carter lifted her gaze, suddenly feeling cheeky. “If I have you listed as just ‘O’Neill’, I might get you confused with ‘O’Neil’ with one ‘L’. Have you met him? He’s a funny guy.”_

_There it was, the twinkle in her eye. O’Neill chuckled and was just about to hit her with a zinger when Daniel and Teal’c joined them at the table._

_Perhaps it was time for a change, she thought._

 

“Carter?” O’Neill’s voice was raspy.

“Sorry to disturb you so late Sir.”

“Everything OK?” He had fallen asleep on the couch and stretched his neck, feeling a slight twinge on the left.

“Yes Sir. Well...”

He waited. O’Neill had never known his Second-in-Command to be speechless. “Well...?” He tried to prompt her.

“I know it’s late, but I was hoping you could come over. I need your help with something.”

This got his attention. He sat up straight, definitely wide awake. “I’ll be right over.” He hung up and headed for the door.

 

Carter sat on the floor in her lounge-room. She had expected O’Neill to ask a few more questions, but he had agreed to come over without explanation. Things had been rough between them since the whole Za’tarc incident, and though she had tried hard to ensure they didn’t lose their friendship, it was hard to refrain from feeling the pull for more.

He didn’t bother knocking, and let himself in with the keys she’d had copied for her team. Spying her on the floor he queried: “Carter?”

She turned around and looked up at him. “Think you can help, Sir?” She gestured around her.

Her lounge-room was quite big but was now filled with Christmas wrapping paper, scissors, sticky-tape, and gifts. A small walkway had been carved for passage to the kitchen and hallway, but she was otherwise marooned in the middle.

“Whatever you need.” He held up his hands. “Got two willing hands for you.”

Oh come on, Carter thought, that had to have been on purpose. Judging by his plain expression, she guessed it was a purely innocent comment. Perhaps it was her mind in the gutter?

“It’s Christmas Eve and Mark will be around with David and Lisa in the morning. I thought I could get it all done, but it’s getting later and I-”

O’Neill held a hand up. “It’s OK. I’ll help.” He lowered himself to the ground with a groan, struggling to cross his legs. He reached for the nearest gift and wrap and set to work.

Carter watched him, imagining all the years he would have stayed up with Sara, wrapping Charlie’s gifts. She hoped it wouldn’t bring back any painful memories for him, but she was glad he was there.

 

They wrapped in relative silence. There were only a few times Carter had to reprimand her Superior Officer when he got distracted playing with the toys.

In under an hour O’Neill had worked his way into the centre, freeing Carter from her gift-imposed prison. He stood over her, watching as she twisted the sticky-tape, ripped the paper, and narrowly avoided snipping her finger.

“OK, that’s enough.” He looked at the clock. “It’s 3am. We’re taking a break.”

“But Sir there’s only a few more to do.” She looked up at him, doe-eyes working overtime.

He fought the urge to give in. “And there’ll be none of you left if you keep going.” He offered her his hand. “Do I have to make it an order?”

She smiled and emptied her hands. “No Sir.” She went for his hand but he pulled it away.

“And no more of this ‘Sir’ stuff. It’s Christmas.”

Carter flashed her perfect smile. “OK, Jack.”

His knees went weak - and he was pretty sure it wasn’t just from sitting for so long on the floor. “There we go, Sam.” He lifted her to her feet. The sudden rise made her dizzy and she swayed a bit. O’Neill’s hands fell to her waist, steadying her.

Carter closed her eyes, waiting for her head to stop spinning, but it only grew stronger when she felt his hands grip her. She placed one hand on his chest while the other grasped his shoulder. Slowly opening her eyes she looked up into the chocolate brown eyes of the man she knew she shouldn’t be this close to, physically or emotionally.

“Feeling better now, Sam?” O’Neill raised a hand and tucked a loose hair behind her ear. This wasn't a smart move. Nothing he had done that night had been smart, starting with answering her call. But despite it all, something inside him told him to carry on.

“Much.” Her voice was low.

They stood in place, neither wanting to move.

“So,” O’Neill suddenly spoke. “Do you have any eggnog or are we going straight for the beer?” He left for the kitchen before she could answer.

While he fumbled around in the fridge and cupboards, she looked at the gifts stacked so neatly on his side of the room. She hadn't even known she owned ribbon, and yet there it was, perfectly curled around perfectly wrapped boxes. Was there nothing this man couldn’t do?

He returned with two mugs of eggnog, their fingers just barely grazing when he handed her one. With one hand on his hip he observed her pile of gifts that looked like they had already been opened and re-wrapped...by a toddler. “Well that’s one thing we know you’re not good at, Sam. I was beginning to think you were perfect.”

The words, and alcohol, hit her hard. “I don’t know what it is about wrapping gifts. I guess I just haven’t had much practice.”

O’Neill knew all too well about her rocky relationships with her dad and brother. “You know you don’t need to buy them all these things to make them like you. Kids tend to suss out pretty quick who they like. They’ll love you.”

Carter coughed and sputtered. Those last two words coming from his mouth was a blessing and a curse. “Sorry.”

He smiled at her. “It’s all good.”

She turned her back to him, looking at the gifts he had wrapped. “I’ll bet they’ll like those ones the best.”

“Ah come on, it’s easy. I’ll show ya.” He placed their mugs down on the coffee table and grabbed her by the shoulders, leading her into the dining room. Collecting the closest gift and utensils, he laid them out for her on the table. “First you start to unravel the paper, making sure to not take too much.”

She leaned forward and slowly pulled it. “Here?”

“Perfect.” He wasn’t just talking about the paper. “Now pick up the gift and place it more or less in the middle.”

She did.

“Now smoothly cut it off from the roll and give yourself some room.”

Carter handed him the roll of wrapping paper and he tossed it on the floor.

“Grab two sides and cover it. Excellent. Now the other two are where it gets tricky.”

She let out a giggle, then remembered their ‘no giggling’ rule. The paper buckled and almost ripped as she fumbled about.

“Here, let me help.”

Carter expected him to take over, but instead he stood behind her, leaning over her shoulder, his hands resting next to hers. His hot breath tickled her neck. She told herself she was arching her neck to give him space to see over her shoulder, but even she didn’t believe that. The hitch in his breath told her he noticed.

“Most wrapping problems are caused by too much paper.” He grabbed the scissors and snipped a few times until it was just right. “Now try.”

Carter tried her best to focus on the task, but his proximity was too overwhelming. It only got worse when he placed his hands on hers, guiding her movements. It felt like a dance. She folded and he cut. She pressed and he taped. Like everything else they did, they worked great together. With a flick of his wrist, the ribbon was curled and she attached it to the top.

They looked down at what they had created together. It was perfect.

O’Neill’s hands fell to hers, covering them lightly. His thumbs slowly stroked her hands, causing goosebumps to erupt everywhere.

Carter turned around, O’Neill taking only a half-step back. He maintained a hold on her hands.

“Thank you Jack. I couldn’t have done it all by myself.”

“You don’t need to do everything yourself Sam. It’s time you start looking after you.” He took a deep breath. “Or let someone else look after you.”

With the one phone call, the door they had tried so hard to keep locked was thrown open. She looked from his eyes to his lips and back again, seeing that slight smile she always loved. Her nod was almost imperceptible, but he noticed it like he noticed everything else about her. O’Neill slowly lowered his head, his eyes never leaving hers. They breathed the same air. Seconds felt like hours. Then they touched. Their lips moved softly over each other. O’Neill let go of her hands and held her waist. Carter reached around his shoulders, her fingers playing with the hair curling slightly at his neck. Moans of satisfaction filled the air. They broke apart. Carter tried to catch her breath while O’Neill went straight to work nibbling and licking down her neck. His thumbs had worked their way under her shirt and stroked her sides softly.

“I’m sorry I don’t have a gift for you Sir.” Carter spoke between breaths.

He wanted to hear her call him Jack, but smiled knowing that he was making her mind fuzzy. He groaned at the thought, a deep guttural emotion.

Carter immediately responded, dropping her forehead to his shoulder.

O’Neill stopped his sensual assault, trying to catch his breath. “I can leave if you want? Just say the word if it’s too much.”

Carter shook her head. “It’s not that.”

O’Neill pulled back. He brought a hand to her cheek. “Then what is it?”

“Just thinking...I must have been a good girl this year.”

He tilted his head to the side, confused.

“I got exactly what I wanted.” She crashed her lips against his, her tongue immediately asking and being granted permission to tangle with his.

Oh yeah, Carter thought, this was definitely going to be a Christmas to remember.


End file.
